


Domination and Cradle March

by Yellowtaffeta



Series: Dumb [1]
Category: Soul Nomad
Genre: F/M, Gig has a potty mouth, Levin and his Yandere tendencies, M/M, Mention of dark thoughts and destructive impulses, discussion of game mechanics, lying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 04:23:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17481095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yellowtaffeta/pseuds/Yellowtaffeta
Summary: Revya, Gig and Levin work out how to think around each other.  In one head.  Juggling four minds.  It's hard.





	Domination and Cradle March

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting around for YEARS. It's not done but it's going up now. Hopefully there will be more later.

“Can they see me?” 

“They’re mannequins, duh.”Gig’s voice does its best to convey a disembodied shrug.Revya sighs. 

“Yes but can they see me?” 

In front of her the sepp swordsman blinks vacantly, eyes never quite focusing on Revya’s face.They were just out of the desert near Raide.The… interesting debacle with Feinne mercifully behind them.For now.They had been horribly outclassed as she had known they would be.Not to mention made an enemy out of the entire city of Raide.That had been really great. 

No more listening to Danette. 

Ever. 

The fight had done one good thing however, it had made Revya reconsider her stance on this whole domination shtick.At the beginning when Gig had first brought it up she hadn’t thought much of it.Hadn’t let herself think much of it lest Lady Layna or Danette realize just how appealing the whole thing sounded to her.She’d thrown Danette into one of the empty grey rooms and called it a day. 

The beating they’d just taken had made it clear, such complacency was not going to cut it.Now as they camped on the way to Astec Revya had decided to take a moment and explore Gig’s internal mind scape more thoroughly. 

It was interesting, she could barely make out Danette chattering about Swirl Meters (World Eaters?) or neck snapping (her neck most definitely) in the tent beside her.A curtain of sound seemed to have fallen between them.If she’d been in the habit of appreciating music like Lady Layna she might have had a name for it.But as she’d never sat still long enough for her teachers to get her to play anything let alone listen she just nodded along to the ever present steady beat.It was nice, reminded her of marching, good and purposeful.No Danette to insist they go throw themselves at another world eater and smash into itty bitty pieces. 

No more listening to Danette. 

The recently created sepp woman blinks again, eyes fixed vacantly on a spot over Revya’s shoulder.She has a growing need to pinch the cow, see if that gets her attention.If Gig didn’t speak up soon the innocent soldier was going to end up with some very red cheeks.There is no reason for him to take this long.It isn’t like there is anyone else for him to talk to.Purposeful, marching remember? 

“Gig?” 

A chuckle greets her from thin air.“Don’t get your panties in a bunch kid.” 

Had she really sounded that annoyed?She blinks, unconsciously matching the mannequins empty expression.It is hard to know where to focus when talking to her ‘soulmate’.She is still getting the hang of it. 

“You were making some good decisions just now.Didn’t want to interrupt you.” 

Revya pauses.“You can hear my thoughts?” 

They were two souls in the same body, it wasn’t so far fetched an idea.Yet Gig had never hinted this to be the case before.Till now he’d stuck with answering only the questions directly addressed to him and she’d rather liked it that way.She’d had plenty of thoughts about Gig since their fusion, none of which she is ready for the other to hear about. 

“Don’t panic kid.Normally all I get is the stuff you want me to but in here it’s a lot easier, what with being a shared space and all, so tough luck daisy, better admit to all those juicy thoughts we both know you have about me now before they come tumbling out your ass later by accident.” 

Revya jerks, her fingers pinching the sepp mannequin’s cheek harder than she intends.She didn’t— That stupid!So she’d considered turning her body over to him a LITTLE more seriously than she should have.That didn’t mean—Ok, maybe it did.

And there it is, Gig’s laughter, more like maniacal cackling, reverberating throughout the murky space of the room.She flushes, this is not safe ground to tread. 

“Why can’t I hear you?”Distraction, distraction she needs a distraction. 

The ghostly laughter thins and Gig falls silent for a moment. 

“Let’s just say it’s a world eater thing kay?A weakling like you could never hope to be as awesome as the almighty Gig!Heheh.” 

“Riiiight.” 

Brows drawing together Revya takes another yank on the swordsman's unprotected cheek.Gig’s words are biting as usual but at least they are away from other less savory topics.And they need to stay that way. 

“You still haven’t answered me.”She presses. 

“Answered what?” 

Relinquishing the sepp girl’s cheek she gestures at the mannequin.“Can they see me?” 

“Oh for the love— It’s just a mannequin!A dumb doll I made cause for some reason you wanted to name a fighter Sepp Girl #2!Who cares if it can see you!” 

Frowning Revya pats the cow’s red cheek.“So it’s not real?” 

“That is not what I said.Alright let me explain for the special kid.”Gig’s voice sounds more annoyed by the minute. 

“Somewhere, out in the middle of bum fuck nowhere there’s a puny sepp swordsman who’s parents gave her the truly unfortunate name Sepp Girl #2.I just made like… a copy.” 

Unaffected by the harsh words Sepp Girl #2 shifts from one bovine hoof to the other. 

“Soooo… She is real.” 

“Yes dumbass we’ve established that.” 

Revya cocks her head to the side.From behind the swordsman Danette’s mannequin is waving at her energetically.She ignores it. 

“What if I asked for someone you couldn’t find?” 

“Not possible.” 

Her brows draw together.Gig’s tone is sure but that can’t be right.“That’s not possible, Prodesto is too small.” 

“Who the hell said I was getting these guys from Prodesto.Heheh…”Faint unease slides around her, foreign and slimy.It isn’t hers…

She blinks.Well there was something to think about.If not this world then… 

Gig cuts her off. 

“Look, if you want someone to acknowledge your existence why don’t you go talk to the stupid cow.Seems like she’s been trying to get your attention for a while.” 

Revya glances over to the Danette mannequin, sure enough it is still waving enthusiastically at her, the bell at her collar banging a discordant rhythm to the music she’d originally found so soothing.It is true, the Danette doll acts differently than the others.Cautiously she makes her way over to where she’s stuck her friend in the corner.Immediately upon getting in earshot she regrets it. 

“Hey you!Why’d we leave!We had that woof… beater… thingie on the ropes and you just left!Layna sent us out here to kill those things not go sight seeing!As your guardian I’m turning this tent around!”The Danette doll plants her hands on her hips and puffs out her cheeks.

Revya sighs as the mannequin in the shape of her friend keeps ranting.Her head hurts and the longer Danette’s voice continues the more she has the funny feeling that the words of this Danette and the one ‘outside’ are beginning to synch up. 

“Damn I knew she was dumb but really?” 

Revya decides rolling her eye’s is a response Gig will approve of.Danette certainly isn’t the brightest crayon in the box despite her hair color, but she is a precious friend—

Gig snorts.“You mean only friend.” 

— **And she can not bring herself to say anything mean to the blue haired girl’s face.** She thinks louder, drowning out Gig’s snickering laughter.

...At least in the real world, she caves with a sigh.In here it is looking more and more appealing. 

“Hey!Hey you!Are you listening!This is important!I’ll tell Lady Layna you’re a big fat chicken and then she’ll take the sword back!C’mon!Stop being such a wuss!” 

At this point Danette’s mannequin latches onto Revya’s arm dragging her in closer with a strangle hold.Revya blanches. 

“No Danette that’s a dumb idea.”She cringes back. 

The mannequin’s cheeks puff up and Revya leans back some more. 

“Hey you in there! I know it’s you and I won’t let you turn my friend into a wuss!” 

“Sorry to disappoint but right now, I’m not so much in there… as out here.” 

Gig’s disembodied voice echoes gleefully around the room and the Danette doll’s eyes turn into dinner plates.Releasing Revya’s arm she whirls around like a top looking for the source of the reaper’s voice. 

“Where are you hiding?!I knew you were a coward!Come out here so I can snap your neck!” 

Gig’s cackling reverberates around the room as Danette sets to tearing the place apart.It doesn’t take long, the only hiding spot a small wooden box in the corner.She dumps some unrecognizable objects out of it before sitting back on her haunches with a frown. 

“Danette stop, this is dumb.”Revya repeats, rubbing her forehead.It is definitely starting to ache. 

Danette stares at her for a minute before pushing herself up to stand in one harsh movement.Revya quickly backpedals as the angry sepp advances on her with a scowl. 

“You really called me dumb!You did! Not him. How could you?!” 

Continuing to retreat Revya holds her hands up in a feeble attempt to ward off the angry cow.Suddenly there is a loud thump and everyone pauses to stare at the new room that has mysteriously fallen out of the black void next to their own. 

“Quick put her over there so she shuts up!”Gig growls. 

“Wha— How?”Revya flounders, there hadn’t been anything like this before!It wasn’t like the place had come with instructions or anything!

“Don’t you dare!”Danette cries, stalking closer. 

“Like this idiot!God, do I have to do everything around here?!” 

Suddenly there is no angrily advancing sepp bearing down on her.Instead Danette’s picture dings into the right hand of Revya’s vision. 

“Now just imagine putting her somewhere over there so we can have some peace and quiet!God!” 

Revya blinks.It IS nice and quiet without all the racket Danette makes.Glancing over at the new room she shrugs.Clearly there is still much to learn about this whole domination mess.No harm in trying things.With a pang of guilt she picks a spot in the new room and pictures Danette standing there.And there she is.…Scowling at her.But blessedly silent. 

“Finally! Damn!” 

Revya suppresses a snort.Gig is being rather overly dramatic. 

“Am not!” 

Annnnd right, he can still hear her. 

She sighs, that was quite enough for one day.Turning to leave she pauses.The mannequin Danette is still frowning at them, ears drooping and mopey.Revya can’t help it. 

“Oh go cry a river.”Gig grumbles. 

But she simply can’t leave her friend upset.What if the real Danette remembers?Then she will definitely never hear the end of it.Turning she speaks to the other room not sure if it can hear her. 

“Sorry Danette.That’s a bad plan.”She compromises, avoiding the forbidden word.But still, she’s made up her mind, no more listening to Danette. 

“Well shit, ain’t that just a revelation.You are sooo smart.” 

Revya rubs her temples.That marching beat is more like pounding now. 

“Shut up Gig.”

“Oh come’on, you know you love me, soooulmate.” 

Yeah she is done here.Before that can go anywhere.Before anyone can accuse her of wanting what Gig is offering just a _tiny_ bit more than she should.

 

“Listen, punk.Just who do you think you’re talking to?” 

The voice barked, coming out harsh from a mouth that wasn’t meant to hold it and Raksha had to stop the shiver it sent through his chest.It was such a soft touch, grating and crunching around him in tightly held coils of memory. 

 **‘I’ll rip your head off!’‘Stupid useless maggot!’ ‘Thought you were being smart did you?!’ ‘Ohhh look at me, I’m Raksha and I like to think I’ve got a brain!’**  

**‘Just kill it already.You’re not good for anything else.’**

He was talking to Gig. 

Neither Raksha nor Levin have any experience with love but he’d like to think this is what it feels like, the touch of a lover.The touch of something he has been waiting for FOREVER.Something he has shaped his existence, his very form around in the hopes that this moment would be granted to him.Something he is going to destroy utterly. 

But he can’t.Not yet.Not in this pathetic hairy, hooved, monstrosity of a body. _Not now that he is smart._ And that thought alone carries him through the cringing, sniveling, disgrace of ‘Levin’ as he stutters out his first response to the being that has owned him so thoroughly his thoughts haven’t been free of him in centuries.If the fear in his voice comes easier than he would like who was to know?It was ok.He’s learned.It was when you weren’t afraid that you were dumb.

Whatever Christoph or Vitali say after that is a blur, his own sniveling responses aimed solely at egging on the fight he so desperately wants.And even if it wasn’t the fight he knew they COULD have he’ll settle with it for now.Research, he is doing research he tells himself with glee as he focuses on the reaper’s disgustingly pink vessel, following her movements. 

A not so small part of him wants to laugh at Gig’s predicament, getting stuck in the body of a girl.The thought of being in a vessel like Euphoria makes his skin crawl.Clearly Gig had been unwilling to wait like Raksha had. 

Or maybe he couldn’t wait.Maybe he didn’t CARE. Now there was an idea.

Maybe it didn’t matter, for the longer he watches the vessel’s movements the fewer openings he finds in her stance, the more sure her sword strokes slice the air, the sharper her eye’s pierce her opponents.She is graceful and contained.Nothing like the wild whistling rush of Gig’s scythe or the prickling fire that burns at the edge of Raksha’s vision.Red is everywhere, in his eyes, in her hair, on their hands.Red like the blood in her veins that he longs to splatter across the ground. 

But just as he thinks it her sword glows, stretching into a familiar black scythe.Her hair turns grey as power pulls tight around her and Raksha feels the peculiar trickling of blood pouring through his veins.Heart pounding, (his own!His very own heart!) even after all these years it never ceases to catch him off guard.Later he would grit his teeth at the realization of how **stupid** he was being but right now his heart, his measly little meat sack heart can not wait.

They face each other, finally, her gaze calm as the ocean after it had swallowed the entire nation he’d dumped into it and suddenly Raksha is smart again.She is brave, steady as a rock in a storm but so NEW.And as she is now he could destroy her purely by accident.Purely with the surging of fire in his fingers and there is nothing Gig can do to stop it.Gig wouldn’t even know.He shiveres all the way down to his hooves with the rush. 

But no.She still can’t draw fully on the reaper’s power and that isn’t what he wants.What he needs.When he tears into her he wants it to be Gig’s strength that breaks beneath his weight, Gig’s power that he smothers beneath his own.He wants it to be his true form that brings his jailer low.This vessel, this girl with hair the color of the blood that flowes red in Gig’s wake, he will feel nothing for crushing her.She is nothing.

But she is growing, in leaps and bounds, he’s seen it in this battle alone.The hair on his legs stands on end with a delicious spike of fear at the thought of what she will become.But that isn’t what he wants.He wants Gig.He wants the body he’s left trapped, rotting in the woods.He wants revenge and she is nothing.

Christoph calling off the fight is both the best and the worst thing that has ever happened.He is so close!Yet Gig has never been farther away, trapped in a pretty pink sack of meat that would bleed annoyingly red if Raksha broke her, just like everything else. 

 

He goes back to Euphoria that night and sits behind her, long golden strands of hair slipping through his fingers.He drags a nail down the inside of her brittle wrist and watches the blood well to the surface.Bright and red and hot like fire.Gently he pulls the color through her hair, turning great swaths of gold shimmering sickly scarlet. 

Euphoria sits silently throughout, eyes glassy, mouth smiling her best ‘big sister’ smile.She never talks when they are alone.Why bother putting up appearances when it was just them?He never knows what to make her say anyway.

Eventually the color dries a rusty brown and Raksha throws the doll away from him.She lands face first on the floor, limbs splayed in every direction. 

It hadn’t looked right anyway he decides later as he holds her head under the sink, great rivulets of red running down Euphoria’s face.He grinds his teeth until they ache.It hadn’t looked right. 

 

They talked, boy did they talk, and Gig gushes about the food. 

Contrary to popular belief Raksha listens to all of it.Listening was hard when you knew you could break every dish on the table without lifting a finger.But listening is something smart people do.And Raksha is smart now even though Levin is not.

When told he is going with them his pathetic meat sack heart soars.It isn’t like he hadn’t expected it, planned for it, spent the last ten years of his ‘life’ painstakingly setting himself up for just this moment and countless more to come.Oh no. 

What he isn’t prepared for is the sense of accomplishment that comes with it.So overwhelmed with ‘YES YES YES! You’re mine!I’ll break you!’ he almost argues himself right out the other side.Putting on a disgusting pout he focuses on the outward appearance of the redheaded vessel instead of the silver hair of the reaper he knows is lurking inside. 

She doesn’t speak, just watches with an impassive gaze and a touch of a smile and for some reason that really annoyes him, flashes of gold and scarlet jumping behind his eyes.Raksha doesn’t know what to make of her.But that’s ok, after this conversation ‘Raksha’ will no longer exist.It will be Levin who had to figure out what to make of Gig’s ruby red vessel.She reaches her hand out, small smile curling her lips as she speaks of dominating him and his colleague, the first words SHE has uttered since his arrival.He had been beginning to wonder if she was mute. 

Raksha doesn’t close his eyes as he makes the switch.

He will be ‘Levin’ for a little while.For her. 

A girl named Revya for Levin and a silver reaper wrapped in a bow of red for Raksha. 

 

She considers the Sepp boy for no more than a moment.He is young and brash and loves his sister.Whatever mysteries hide behind his horns and all that hair will come in time. 

She is tired and somedays it is hard to bring herself to care.And he is one more person to add to the pile of those she is supposed to care about.It’s not even that big a pile really.Just herself and Danette …and maybe Layna, but she’s so far away…, and maybe Gig, but he is her and that gets complicated.So no, just herself and Danette and now this Levin and Vitali. 

Vitali is easy, he leaves a lot and Revya gets the feeling he can take care of himself.Anyone who manages to startle Gig so often must be formidable indeed.But Levin, Levin is another child in a world far too wide and empty and Revya can feel the abyss within him as she feels it within herself and so she tries a little harder. 

Which is to say she puts the boy in front of her on her square and calls it a day.Anything more feels like too much work at the moment.

 

Raksha had expected to run into problems staying Levin but he hadn’t thought one would come up this fast or hit him this hard.It didn’t matter that he’d planned for it, worked tirelessly to understand how to swirl his world eater soul away into nothing just like he’d felt all the other souls he’d devoured fade away into silence. 

He’d studied the original Levin, had picked the boy apart even as his screams and curses had faded to nothing inside his head.Hadn’t even taken that long.But it had happened, his voice had stopped.And maybe that was the problem here.There were too many voices, and none of them were fading. 

Gig and Revya’s inane thoughts bounced off one another inside the room in her pretty red head.He could hear Gig every time he grumbled, every time he laughed, every time the emptiness inside Revya threatened to consume her, to hand Gig everything and at that tantalizing, taunting image Raksha would twitched to life.Threatening to burst to the surface and flood this stupid useless space, slam the reaper and his empty little vessel to the floor, to make them hear him too.And that sure wouldn’t be a Levinish thing to do.

Revya had set him in her room, directly in front of her and his back itched with the thought of her eyes on him.He hid it as best he could.Levin had no reason to worry about baring his back to her, had no reason to think she’d stab him in it.Because Levin was STUPID.

But thankfully that was it.Revya seemed to dominate, set and leave her minions alone.Which was fine with him.The less time spent among the mess of souls that Gig was gathering inside his vessel’s head the better.The less chance there was for Levin to do something dumb. 

Wait.He paused hotpod halfway to his mouth.The group was eating around Endorph’s crudely built campfire.There had been something wrong with his train of thought just now. 

But before Levin could figure out what, the hotpot was plucked from his fingers. 

“Eay!”He yelled intelligently. Turning he found his dinner already half gone. 

Revya blinked at him, licking her lips.She shrugged.“Didn’t look like you were gonna eat it.” 

Levin found speech had deserted him as he watched the rest of the food disappear behind dainty pink lips, large matching eyes watching him steadily throughout.Her cheeks flushed lightly as Levin’s mouth decided to let out the sound of his indignation.At least she had the decency to seem embarrassed. 

But then Revya’s eyes became unfocused and her mouth quirked to the side in a smile and rage rushed into Levin’s brain like a river.They were speaking, he was in there, Gig.And who the hell did he think he was talking to! 

And why did Levin care?

 

Levin is truly touched at the offer of help. 

Levin is. 

The gypsy heading towards Astec has his stomach tying itself in knots for reasons he’s not sure why.It’s his sister.He’s definitely worried about his sister.A roiling nebulous fear that startles him.And it really shouldn’t because he’s always been worried about Euphoria hasn’t he?She’s fragile, she could break so easily when confronted by the unknown like this.She needs his help, he’s so sure of it.She can’t do anything without him. 

The irritation rising in his gut spurs his hooves faster.Why can’t the world just leave her alone.He still needs her.There’s so much left for her to do!

 

Levin gets there minutes ahead of anyone else.His speed impressive and unchecked.He arrives in time to see Shauna looking down at something resting under a tree, her face drawn and hard. 

“There she is!” He hollers skidding to a halt before her minions. 

Turning back at the sound of his voice she makes her way to the front of her band.For a moment everything is silent as she regards him.Eyes keen and calculating.He thinks she might be about to speak when the sound of the others arriving cut the moment in two.Levin looks away to berate Revya for being late and when he looks back Shauna has her arms crossed, bells at her hips jingling high and cold, she looks bored. 

Something slithers awake in his spine.The gypsy thinks she knows something.Interesting, he wants to watch her more closely though he can’t think why.Levin shakes his head, what is he thinking when he could be driving these stupid bandits out of his home?!Diving into the fray the strange tingling to the back of his neck subsides. 

 

However it returns when the dust settles and Shauna points casually to a crumpled pile of yellow under a tree.Levin rushes over but for once his hooves aren’t fast enough.With a rising sense of dread that feels foreign to his very being he wonders how that can possibly be. 

Endorph helps Euphoria to her feet as he slides to a stop.They are smiling at each other and Levin feels the rage poor out from somewhere deep inside of him.She’s smiling and he is so angry. 

“Get away from my sister!”He screams because the rage needs somewhere to go. 

Endorph calls him insane but it’s Euphoria’s gentle chiding that makes him really mad.He’s protecting her!Why can’t she see that?She needs him she shouldn’t be doing ANYTHING without him.She shouldn’t…She’s pushing him away.She doesn’t want him to come back? 

Something cracks deep in Levin’s chest and Raksha pours out, slamming into the too small confines of his hooves and his horns, his soul sloshing at the sides, threatening to over flow it.In moments Levin is crushed beneath the weight of Raksha’s bulk, disappearing without a sound. 

Raksha grabs Euphoria’s mind and shreds.Pushes into her until every corner is full up with his world eater soul and there is no space for anything else to be.He tears through her insides searching for whatever spark must have ignited in the few days he’s left his doll unattended. 

But there’s nothing there.She’s an empty husk just like always and now everyone is staring at them, at both of his useless meat sacks and he has to do something. 

Raksha parrots them through a conversation.He’s well versed in how to manipulate both puppets at the same time.Things are just coming under control again when of course Gig has to speak up.And maybe it’s not a smart thing to do but Raksha really can’t help himself.He makes his little doll FLIRT with Gig.That will show Endorph, get his stupid nose out of Euphoria’s stupid golden hair. 

“Oh that alluring voice must be Mr. Gig.You are truly a mighty warrior.I admire that greatly.”He even flutters her eyelashes for good measure.It’s cathartic.He doesn’t remember the last time he’s found something so hilarious.Maybe never.

Gig laughs and tries to be scary but Euphoria has nothing to fear.Gig’s posturing falls on empty ears on an empty head. 

When the reaper finally grumbles out “C’mon you’re throwing me off my game.You’re the only person I’ve met who doesn’t mess their pants in front of me.”Raksha wants to laugh, laugh to the high heavens because it feels so good to finally not be scared.Even if it means he might be dumb. 

He’s so high on the rush he almost doesn’t notice that Euphoria is still talking.Words gushing out of a mouth that should have gone slack with no fingers to pull it’s strings.Before Raksha can catch her she’s inviting Gig and the girl home for dinner and where did that come from? 

He’s only half faking it as Levin’s mouth stammers out “W-what?!” 

He forces more words from the boy as he ransacks his sister again.Searching mercilessly for what ever could be allowing her to move herself without his direction.But there is nothing, no spark, no part of Euphoria that has escaped his hold.And she keeps talking. 

“Cooking comes from the heart.Dr. Hao always said that.You remember him don’t you?”She chirps smiling the sister smile that he’s taught her. 

Raksha doesn’t remember, but that probably means he killed the man so what does it matter. 

 

Things wind down and everyone goes their separate ways for a few hours.Later they’ll reconvene at Master Christoph’s but for now Raksha takes both his little puppets home.Levin’s hand is wrapped around his sister’s arm as they are guided through the streets.Perhaps a touch too tight as when he tosses her to the floor of their little flat it leaves an angry red ring on Euphoria’s lily white skin. 

Raksha does not seethe.He has learned that anger in these situations will only cloud his thoughts.He feels the fire inside that even a hundred years ago he would have allowed to consume him whole and just breathes.Somehow Euphoria has been compromised.After all these years, after all this time she has finally started to fight back. 

It is almost funny if he thinks about it.Levin had done nothing but spit and hiss and fight until he disintegrated in Raksha’s swirling depths but Euphoria had been gone from the start.An empty husk that hadn’t lifted a finger even when her snot nosed brother screamed for her.Yet now she was putting up a struggle.It was comical.A family drama to rival his own. 

Well there would be none of that.His plans would have to change a bit but nothing drastic.He could fix this.She wanted to cook did she?Well then cook she would.He grinned at her sprawled across the floor.Giving instructions he left her to begin work on his own personal recipe.He had the walk back to Christoph’s to rebuild the shattered pieces of Levin around him.The boy would be needed for some time yet.

 

“Nine hero’s!” 

Revya feels her eye twitch in frustration.That was the third time Levin had jumped in front of her as she prepared to unleash a demon blast. 

Gig expresses his annoyance much more vocally. 

“Son of a bitch!”Revya hears her partner bark in the guttural tone he always manages to twist her voice into when he uses it. 

Too tired to chastise her soulmate she focuses her attention on dissipating the energy gathered around the onyx blade.Levin is downing blue blob after blue blob, spilling gelatinous guts everywhere.Demon blast will not be needed. 

“That’ll teach ya!”He stands victorious, fist clenched, face set in a ridiculous parody of heroism, bright florescent blue dripping from his everything. 

Revya sighes.This swamp is awful.When she is all powerful she is going to come back and burn it.Despite the led in her limbs she still catches Gig’s mental snort.‘My soulmate is sooo perfect!’He giggles

Revya frowns.‘I thought you couldn’t hear my thoughts out here.’ she sends at him downing a gulp of one of the reaper’s weird stamina bottle things before handing it around to the rest of her squad. 

‘I caaan’t.’ Gig drawls.‘You’re getting sloppy.Must be all the fumes in the air.I swear those hydrones are made of some nasty shit.Better get a move on since sister complex over there is still cock blocking all the action.C’mon soulmate.Mush! Mush!’ 

Revya rolls her eyes, plodding forward through the muck thankful not for the first time that her choice in armor is so light.‘If he does it again I’ll stick him in a room of nothing BUT hydrones.’ She grumbles not even attempting to filter the thought from Gig’s conscious. 

‘Good meat sack!Best soulmate!’ 

Revya can feel Gig’s glee bubbling behind her eyes.An image of her reaper blowing hearts comes to mind and she blanches.It is a little disconcerting.No, scratch that it is a lot a disconcerting.She rubs her temples as Gig cackles.She needs to get out of this damn swamp, maybe eat a hot pod or two, then she’ll feel better. 

Gig howls and Revya groans at her own thoughts.

 

Sure enough Levin pops off another nine hero’s before the ordeal is over.The annoyance swirling in Reyva’s gut dwindles at the shear amount of blue the Sepp is covered in.At least he’d spared them all that fate even if he had tried to get himself impaled on her scythe repeatedly.Vitali looks like he agrees.

 

She excuses herself after the audience with queen Alexemia. 

“Just going to change the squad arrangements.”She assures Danette as she attempts to slip out unnoticed. 

“Hey! Hey! Put me back on your team!”Her friend yells after her as she speeds away. 

“Right, uh huh.”Revya cringes, hands over her ears as she makes her escape. 

‘Thought we weren’t going to listen to Danette anymore?’ Gig taunts into the suddenly silent halls of the Nereid palace. 

“We aren’t.Can’t you see my ears are covered?”Revya grinds out sinking down against an ornate blue pillar.She is getting really tired of the color. 

‘Does that mean you just lied to the she cow?’Gig’s voice purrs, sly and dangerous. 

Revya groans.“Shut up Gig.”It comes out more plea than command and she squirms uncomfortably under some imagined gleeful gaze.It seems guilt is harder to deny when the doubtful party is inside of you. 

‘Riiiiight.’ Gig drawls.‘Say whatever you like soulmate.I’m gonna be able to hear everything in a minute anyway.’ 

Revya scowls, there is just no escape.When she is all powerful she’ll find a way to set fire to non corporeal pains in the ass too.

 

Gig is still cackling when the dark resolves into her room in their mind, his voice underlined by the heavy marching beat that is always present. 

“Awe soulmate, you wouldn’t do that to little ol’ me.” 

Revya blinkes as the inner space of her mind swirls into focus bringing with it the pounding beat of marching feet as well as her partner’s disembodied voice.His disembodied voice that is hissing right in her ear. 

“Besides it would smell bad.Smoke would come out your ears.Danette would have to snap your neck to make it stop.” 

She jumps, slapping a hand at the place his face should be to whisper so close to her ear.Of course there’s nothing there, her hand smacking into the side of her head like a dying fish.Gig has the decency not to comment on it, too busy cackling over the music.Fine, he wants to be like that?Two could play at this game. 

Revya turns her attention to the murky glow of the rooms around her.New platforms come crashing down with a satisfying thump, all of her companions disappearing into a list of pictures in the corner of her vision.She sets about sorting through formations and mannequins ignoring her reaper for the time being. 

The battle with the hydrones and then the ensuing political drama with the Nereids has been exhausting.Revya scowls as she drops Danette and Vitali down in their spaces.She is sick of dealing with people and their problems for a little while.Right now all she wants is a bath and some vengeance. 

She pulls Levin out last, plunking him down in a new room for the first time since he’s joined them.It is a shame really, they worked well together, he acting as her vanguard while she spammed Gig’s dark energy at people, but after that last display she had some threats to make good on.Needed to make sure her team took her seriously. 

Gig snorts. 

“Riiiiiiight.Hate to break it to you soulmate but we go traipsing around with a bunch of gelatinous punching bags no one is going to take us seriously.” 

Revya shrugged.Appearances had never been high on her list of priorities if they had somewhere down the line she would have put on a shirt. 

“I thought that was just you displaying your mighty leadership talents.”Gig sniggers. 

“I am a great leader.”She deadpans absolutely not thinking about how he has obviously taken note of her chest. 

“Fear my chainmail bikini!”He roars chortling. 

“I guess it is yours as well now.”Revya agrees. 

“Ughhh low blow there soulmate, low blow.” 

She snorts, unprepared for the thrill of amusement that shots through her. 

“Would you say I hit below the belt?”She askes trying to keep a straight face. 

She is met with blank silence for a moment before Gig’s voice drifts back to her, strangled and tight. 

“Oh my fucking god.Who are you and what the fuck have you done with my soulmate?!”He demands recovering quickly. 

Revya basks in the moment as a swirl of amusement and pride wash over her before bringing her attention back to Levin’s new room.It wouldn’t be good to dwell on those kinds of emotions while in this space with Gig.Pushing the bubbling urge to laugh to the back of her mind she studies the sepp boy.Levin stands silent and docile in his square, eye’s unfocused and distant.Revya frowns, that is odd.He looks like a mannequin…Vitali and Danette tended to act the same in here as they did outside.Maybe he was just tired.

Pushing past the cool fingers of warning that slide down her spine she focuses on her plan.She has to be quick or Gig will read her intentions right out of her own head. 

“Gig I want some new mannequins.”She calls.“Four hydrones named IUH_*(YVBUbu, uhb7823bcos, lapse;’.!I@ and Blllllæåāàâ.” 

There is another glorious moment of silence before Gig starts grumbling. 

“Are you fucking serious?”He growles.“Say those again I dare you.” 

Revya shakes her head feeling her short hair catch on the face splitting grin she is biting her cheeks to keep at bay. 

“You heard me the first time.”She stands firm, trying to reign in her control.A strange sense of frustration and grudging acceptance spin around her even as her own mirth threatenes to drown it out. 

She waits in silence for several minutes before the first hydrone thumps into being beside Levin.It takes several more for the next and even longer for the third. 

“I hate you.”Gig hissed as the final blue gelatin monster plopps down into the room at last. And Revya looses it, laughing so hard she has to sit down.Now she can go back and deal with the real world. 

“Thank you my soulmate.”She wheezes at Gig as her parting shot before returning to the Nereid palace.


End file.
